BRIGHTCLAN

HIGH-RANK LEADER: Whitestar- a pure white tom with bright blue eyes.

HIGH-RANK DEPUTY: Snowpelt- very, very pale gray tom with silver eyes.

HIGH-RANK MEDICINE CAT: Frostydawn- pale silver she-cat with darker tabby stripes. Yellow eyes.

HIGH-RANK WARRIORS:

Crystalheart- gray she-cat with a white splotch on her chest. Blue eyes.

Glowfur- white tom with one silver paw, pale blue eyes.

Echoshine- pale gray tabby she-cat with shining silver eyes.

Moonsong- pure pale silver she-cat with barely darker speckles on her hind legs. Steely gray eyes.

Icetail- pale gray tom with a white tail. Icy blue eyes.

Frozenpelt- silver tom with white patches. Pale yellow eyes.

LOW-RANK LEADER: Darkheart- black she-cat with gray tabby stripes and green eyes. SERVES: Whitestar

LOW-RANK MEDICINE CAT: Doespring- dusty brown she-cat with gray paws. Brown eyes. SERVES: Frostdawn

LOW-RANK WARRIORS (Also known as Protectors):

Nettlespring- brown tabby tom with ginger paws. Gray eyes. SERVES: Snowpelt

Sunpelt- ginger tabby tom with yellow belly and muzzle. Green eyes. SERVES: Crystalheart

Tinydawn- cream-tabby and white she-cat. Fluffy, stumpy tail and pale blue eyes. SERVES: Glowfur

Leaftumble- pale brown tom with ginger patches. Dark brown eyes. SERVES: Echoshine

Blackfur- black tom with yellow-green eyes. SERVES: Moonsong

Loudtooth- gray she-cat with tan fur in places; talks loudly. Green eyes. SERVES: Icetail

Blossomsnow- pale silver she-cat with leaf-green eyes and an ugly scar down her spine. Former high-rank warrior. SERVES: Frozenpelt

HIGH-RANK APPRENTICES:

Cloudpaw- white she-cat with fluffy, downy fur. Pale silver eyes. MENTOR: Crystalheart

LOW-RANK APPRENTICES:

Raccoonpaw- brown tom with gray mask and black paws. Blue eyes. Serves Cloudpaw. MENTOR: Sunpelt

Kinkpaw- pale brown tabby she-cat with a lame paw. Serious brown eyes. Serves Shinefur. MENTOR: Blackfur

HIGH-RANK QUEENS:

Shinefur- pale silver she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes. Mother to Whitestar's kits: Blizzardkit and Stormkit

Rivershimmer- silver dappled she-cat with bright blue eyes. Mother to Icetail's kits: Glimmerkit, Blightkit and Shimmerkit

LOW-RANK QUEENS:

Dustfoot- black she-cat with tan paws. Orange eyes. Mother to Nettlespring's kits: Nightkit, Duskkit, and Shadowkit. Serves Rivershimmer.

Berryspot- dark gray she-cat with bright red spots. Gray eyes. Mother to Sunpelt's kits: Gingerkit and Applekit

HIGH-RANK KITS:

Blizzardkit- silver dappled tom with pale blue eyes.

Stormkit- white tom with silver paws and tailtip. Chaotic blue eyes.

Glimmerkit- white she-kit with blue eyes.

Blightkit- dark silver she-kit with paler tabby stripes and pale blue eyes.

Shimmerkit- white she-kit with blue eyes.

LOW-RANK KITS:

Nightkit- black she-kit with ginger paws and muzzle. Gray eyes.

Duskkit- pale brown tabby she-kit with darker belly, chest, muzzle, paws, and tailtip. One orange eye, one steely gray eye.

Shadowkit- black she-kit with brown tabby marks and amber eyes.

Gingerkit- pale ginger tabby tom with red ears and toes. Green eyes.

Applekit- grayish/red tom with bright yellow front paws. Dark gray eyes.

ELDERS:

Archwillow- pale brown dappled she-cat with silver swirls and arches on her haunches. Yellow eyes.

STARLIGHT COUNCIL

Moon- beautiful white she-cat with piercing silvery-blue eyes.

Sun- small ginger tom with brown paws and green eyes.

Star- a mysterious she-cat with a disorder that leaves half of her body pitch black, the other white. The black side has an orange eye, the white side has a blue eye.

Aries- strong brown tom with blazing pale silver eyes. Thick, dark brown, curling horns.

Taurus- dark brown tabby she-cat with one green eye, one pale gray eye.

Gemini- conjoined twins, one she-cat, one tom. Both are golden tabbies with lavender eyes.

Cancer- dark red tom with sharp claws and red eyes.

Leo- massive golden she-cat with thick fur around her neck and face. Blazing pale green eyes.

Virgo- delicate blue/gray tabby she-cat with pretty sapphire eyes.

Libra- handsome golden tabby tom with bronze patches. Pale pinkish eyes.

Scorpio- red tom with a barbed, curling tail. Bright yellow eyes.

Sagittarius- tan she-cat with brown paws and swirling stripes. Sharp pale blue eyes.

Capricorn- tabby tom with dark red eyes.

Aquarius- blue/gray she-cat with darker legs. Dark purplish eyes.

Pisces- little black and white patched tom with very pale blue eyes.

Rules of BrightClan

1. The cats of BrightClan must obey the Starlight Council. Any traitors will be put on trial.

2. All high-rank warriors can order their servants to do anything. Any resistance on the Protectors' part will result in a trial.

3. The Protectors must defend BrightClan's high-rank warriors at all costs. Any traitors will be killed.

4. To become a high-rank leader, a cat must have a white pelt and blue eyes.

5. Any cat with a white, pale gray, or silver pelt and blue, gray, silver, or yellow eyes can be considered a high-rank BrightClan warrior.

6. The Protectors' leader must tell their cats to obey any or all high-rank warrior commands. Any traitors will be put on trial, and the Protectors' leader will be killed.

7. The high-rank apprentices must travel to the Starlight Falls to receive their true BrightClan name.

8. Any trials left unfinished must be completed by dawn.

9. Guilty victims will be killed by the BrightClan leader themselves.

10. The leader of BrightClan will carry out all trials with the high-rank medicine cat and deputy.

11. In case of a high-rank cat's death, the Clan must grieve for two days.

12. When the leader of BrightClan dies, the Starlight Council will determine a new leader.

13. When a low-rank cat betrays the Starlight Council, they will be killed. High-rank cats will be given a trial.

14. Any outsiders are to be attacked fiercely, unless they are of pale pelt and blue eyes.

15. All high-rank leaders and medicine cats must visit the Starlight Council at Starlight Falls at each full moon.

Prologue

Darkness slowly began to settle over the dense treetops of the uninhabited forest. A mockingbird sang her last song of the day, then quieted, calmly awaiting night.

A bloodcurdling scream ripped the still air.

Below, a small group of cats marched determinedly through the forest. A small tortoishell she-cat was being dragged by two burly toms, each consisting of dark pelts and sad eyes.

At the front of the group, an imposing white tom lead the others, his blue eyes narrowed. A pale gray tom at her side glanced back, his silver gaze worried.

"Whitestar, should we stop and check on our... prisoner?"

The leading tom, Whitestar, continued walking, but slowed his pace.

"Tsk, tsk," he whispered, turning a cold smile on the tom. "How do you think the Starlight Council would react to a high-rank deputy being worried about a mange-pelted low-ranking apprentice? Hm, Snowpelt?"

The tom, Snowpelt, looked at his paws. "Not well, Whitestar," he responded quietly.

Behind him, the tortoishell wailed, her brown eyes wide. The toms on either side of her shared a sad glance, but remained silent.

A small, pale gray tabby suddenly darted ahead, her gaze growing respectful. She stopped the group in front of a rocky hillside. Behind her was a small, dark hole.

"Leaftumble, Blackfur, you can go," she ordered, her pretty yellow eyes narrowed.

She waited until the toms disappeared into the shadowy forest, then continued. "The Starlight Council will be the jury, with us as the witnesses and Moon as the judge. Be respectful, or you, too, will have to endure a trial."

With that, the tabby led the way into the tunnel. Whitestar followed, his blue eyes surprisingly calm. Snowpelt stopped outside the tunnel.

"Listen," he murmured to the sobbing tortoishell. "Everything's going to all right. The Starlight Council is fair. Your crime left you as the victim, not the culprit. You'll be okay."

The she-cat nodded hurriedly, her face streaked with tears. Snowpelt pushed her gently into the tunnel, then followed.

A small black-and-white tom sat in his seat beside a golden and bronze tom. He shivered slightly, dreading the event that was to begin in a few moments.

The tom beside him smiled encouragingly.

Suddenly, as if they had been there all along, a beautiful white she-cat appeared, shadowed by a ginger tabby tom. All the cats in the seats bowed in respect, and the ginger tom dipped his head back. The white she-cat ignored him and leapt up to a higher podium and seated herself calmly.

The tom shrugged, his face struggling to mask disappointment, and jumped onto a slightly lower seat.

Not a moment later, a white tom, a pale gray tom, a gray tabby she-cat, and a wailing tortoishell tiptoed into the clearing.

"Welcome, Whitestar, Frostydawn, Snowpelt," boomed the white she-cat. "Please, seat yourselves, and you-" Her gaze hardened, and her muzzle wrinkled into a sneer. "You low-ranking scum can sit there." She pointed at a pointy rock in the center of the clearing.

The tortoishell complied, looked scared. The ginger tabby stepped forward. "State your name."

The tortoishell jumped. "I-I-I'm F-Flowerp-paw," she choked out.

The ginger tabby tom nodded his consent and stepped back.

The white she-cat flicked her tail. "Address the Starlight Council by name."

The tortoishell blinked. "O-Okay," she stuttered. "Your Majesty, Moon."

Moon shut her eyes and raised her head slowly, as if enjoying the sounds of the words.

"Sun."

The ginger tabby dipped his head, shrinking back when Moon shot him a dirty glare.

One by one, the Starlight Council was introduced. The black-and-white tom shivered as the she-cat got closer and closer to him.

"Libra," she called, naming the gold and bronze tom beside him. Libra nodded, his gaze emotionless.

"And Pisces," the tortoishell finished. Pisces shivered, his name echoing in his ears. Please, he begged to nobody, spare her. She is of my bloodline.

Moon slapped her paw against the worn stone of her podium. "Let us begin the trial. Whitestar, please explain this filth's crime."

Whitestar stepped forward, dipping his head to Moon.

"Flowerpaw here was caught eating a high-ranker's food. We found her with the bones, sleeping under a pine tree."

Moon signaled to Snowpelt. "Tell us your account of the situation."

Pisces watched the tom clear his throat and shuffle his paws. He's like me, he realized. He wants Flowerpaw to be found innocent.

"I was patrolling with Whitestar and Crystalheart," the high-rank deputy began. "We entered a small glade, and found Flowerpaw napping under a tree with the bones of a plump rabbit beside her."

Flowerpaw broke in, her voice high-pitched and terrified. "No, no, please, it didn't happen like that, please-"

"Silence!" Moon ordered. Flowerpaw fell quiet, her eyes wide.

Pisces focused on Snowpelt, sorting through his memories. He found a particular one and replayed it.

The scene showed a sunlit clearing surrounded by pine trees. Pisces remained still, knowing that Libra would notice if he was sifting through another's memories.

A heartbeat later, an exhausted and dirty she-cat stumbled into the clearing, dragging massive rabbit. Pisces was impressed, surprised that one her size could carry something so big.

The she-cat collapsed under a pine tree, her eyes shutting. Pisces shivered as he spotted the bones jutting through her matted fur. This cat was starving.

Meat-scent from the rabbit drifted through the still air; the she-cat's jaws opened, and she took a tiny nip from the rabbit.

Pisces sighed as he recognized the she-cat as Flowerpaw. The young apprentice began to gulp down the warm prey, her eyes growing sleepy. She finished the rabbit and curled up, her eyes shutting happily.

Pisces blinked, dismissing the memory. He lifted his gaze to the trial to find everyone, Starlight Council and Clan cat alike, was staring at him. He shrunk down.

"Pisces, what did you find?" Moon's voice was soft and warm.

Pisces swallowed twice, coughed once, then spoke. "Whitestar speaks the truth. Flowerpaw ate a high-rank warrior's meal."

A broken wail echoed below. Flowerpaw was slumped on her stone, sobbing.

Pisces immediately felt sorry as Moon stepped back, looking satisfied. "Now, the Starlight Council will speak their thoughts. As usual, Aries will go first."

The brown tom stood, his curling horns lit by the moon.

"I believe," he began, voice deep and echoing, "that Flowerpaw is not guilty. Though she shouldn't have eaten a high-ranker's food, there must have been a reason." Here Aries frowned, as though troubled. "Flowerpaw," he said softly. "Please tell us what happened."

Pisces swallowed his cry of shock. Aries was very brave to defy Moon's orders: Never ask a traitor for their story. They are usually low-rank scum.

Flowerpaw shakily stood, her paws trembling.

"I had just caught a large hare for Moonsong. I was exhausted from hunting all day, and was starving. I had only had half a shrew in the past two days.

"I brought the rabbit to a clearing. I was too tired to go on. I was so hungry, and I was so desperate, I ate-"

Moon snarled. "We've heard enough," she growled. "It is time to vote."

Pisces glanced at the other members of the Starlight Council. Some were frowning, upset that they hadn't been able to speak. Others looked relieved.

Moon thrust her muzzle forward, staring at the Starlight Council. "All in favor of innocent?"

Pisces' paw shot up. He realized that he was followed by Aries, Libra, Aquarius, Sagittarius, and Sun himself.

Moon smirked. "All in favor of guilty?"

Virgo and Cancer raised their paws, with Gemini raising their paws, along with Taurus, Leo, and Capricorn.

Pisces smiled slightly. Please Moon, he prayed. Feel sympathy and vote for innocent. She was starving.

Moon nodded. "Right. Six for innocent, six for guilty. If I raise my right paw, it means guilty. Left means innocent."

Pisces watched his leader, praying with all his might. At the last moment, Moon turned her head and winked at him, a coy smile playing around her muzzle.

She raised her right paw.

Flowerpaw screamed, tears cascading down her cheeks. "No! No! Please, a retrial, please, please, no!"

Whitestar simply nodded, his blue eyes slightly dark, and signaled to her medicine cat. Frostydawn followed her leader, leaving Snowpelt to guide a blubbering Flowerpaw into the trees. Whitestar and Frostydawn followed.

Pisces shivered, a deep sadness pulsing through him. Star will guide her safely to LightClan, he told himself. Flowerpaw has done nothing wrong.

Flowerpaw sobbed again as Snowpelt lead her from the dark tunnel and into the trees. Dawn was beginning to break, beautiful colors introducing a new day to the world. A day she wouldn't see.

Whitestar lead them to a thick stone platform, where a twisted, leafless tree grew. Vines were strewn across the rock, though many hung from the tree's branches. A broken branch jutted out from the tree's trunk, only a few mouse-lengths from the ground.

Flowerpaw gulped as she spotted Frostydawn wrap a vine around a branch above the broken one. The medicine cat then tucked the end of the vine under itself and leapt to the ground.

Snowpelt guided her forward, his gray fur comfortingly warm. Flowerpaw shivered when Whitestar balanced on the broken branch, holding the other end of the vine in her mouth.

Snowpelt nudged her forward. Flowerpaw clambered onto the broken branch, swaying when the branch creaked ominously.

Whitestar simply wrapped the vine tightly around her neck twice, though not enough to choke her. He tucked the end under another loop of vine, then stepped back. Flowerpaw wondered how she wasn't choking; out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Snowpelt holding up the end of the branch. Whitestar quickly took his place.

Frostydawn began to speak. "Flowerpaw, a low-rank apprentice of BrightClan, you have been sentenced to death by the Starlight Council..."

Flowerpaw trembled. Her muscles were frozen.

LightClan, please take care of Nettlepaw, she begged silently. And Archwillow. Let my family have peace after my death, and for Nettlepaw to live a long life with everything he's wanted. Kits, a mate, and a happy warriorhood. Do the same for Archwillow... let her become an elder and be cared for by the Clan until she joins me. Please.

Frostydawn was finishing her speech. "...and now, Flowerpaw, you will be killed and sent to DarkClan for your crimes. Do you have any last words?"

Flowerpaw felt a sudden surge of loss, of hopelessness, of anger. She turned to Whitestar and spat, smirking when her saliva landed in his eye. "Mangepelt."

Whitestar's eyes narrowed in anger. Frostydawn simply bowed her head. "May DarkClan accept you as a criminal, and we will never see your face again."

Flowerpaw glanced desperately around the clearing. A new cat had arrived. Stars danced at its different colored feet.

The cat was female, and she was split down the middle. One half black, the other white.

She nodded to Flowerpaw and beckoned to her with her tail.

Flowerpaw opened her mouth to say something, but Whitestar moved out from under the broken branch. Shrieking pain and a sharp crack made her screech, but then the world zapped into a dark, swirling black.

Well then.

So this is my new story! This will get dark(er) later on, so be warned!

About the Starlight Council: Their names are the Zodiac signs, and their eye colors are the gemstones that are basically in their month.

A bit of history on BrightClan:

BrightClan was formed by a cat named Brightmoon from ThunderClan. She was considered odd, since she wandered around at night. She ran away and formed a Clan where only cats with silver, gray, and white pelts were to be accepted as normal, since the resembled the moon.

QOTD: Thoughts about this chapter? Who was your favorite character? Do you think BrightClan is segregational (not a real word but who cares)?

Stories of the Clans will be updated both tomorrow and day after tomorrow.

Bai!

-Cherrystone